First impression (dry run) of the TS Geared Head lightweight mount

[Linda]

For my Skymax 127mm I purchased a mount called "TS geared head" to use as a lightweight mount. To be used when I bring my telescope along on a trip where an EQ3 is unmanageably large and heavy. This was by far the cheapest alternative.

It was purchased online at Teleskop-Ekspress.de. It was sent properly packed to the Netherlands. The box contained the mount and a short and a long slow-motion control of the type that fits on an EQ2 and EQ3 mount from Skywatcher. There was no user manual provided. The mount was in a tight box, which can be used to pack the mount in a compact way for the trip. The large box was filled with crumpled paper. The package arrived undamaged.

As a tripod I used a Feisol carbon fiber camera tripod weighing 1 kg, with a carrying capacity of at least 7.5 kg. When I removed the video head from the tripod, the TS geared head could easily and quickly be installed.

My first impression is that the mount is very wobbly. The lower part that lets the mount rotate around its axis, wobbles in relation to the top piece. There is a bolt that I can see at the top. But from below it is integrated in a piece that is fixed with 3 Allen screws. I was on vacation and had no Allen key available. During this holiday I could not test the mount with the telescope, because the whole setup wobbled so much that I did not want to venture my telescope.

A few days later, at home, I could unscrew the bottom with an Allen key and then tighten the central bolt with a wrench and a pipe wrench. It needed two turns. Then the setup felt solid and the mount could still turn on its axis. The bolt has a nut with nylon lining, so it should stay put. In my opinion this bolt should have been delivered tightened.

The mount with slow motion controls weighs 1200 grams. My telescope weights netto 3.4 kg, with only insulation around it and Vixen dovetail below. Rigged with a Skywatcher 6x30 finder, a Quikfinder Rigel, a double finder bracket, a star diagonal and a 68 degree Maxvision 24mm eyepiece, it weighs 4.7kg. This is more than a kilogram above the mount's specified maximum weight limit, which is 3.5 kg. If I went on a trip, I could still save some of this weight by bringing fewer finders and a lighter eyepiece. Vixen-style dovetail fit this mount, so I do not have to change the dovetail compared to the EQ3 mount. The part of the mount that holds the scope is tightened with a "hand" screw.

The fully rigged telescope, despite it's heavy weight, stands firmly on the TS geared head, even when I put it backwards at an angle of 45 degrees. Now I dare to let my scope stand on it without holding it. It's ready for use.

What strikes me immediately is that the button that you tighten to prevent the mount from rotating around its axis, has an elongated handle and if you tighten the screw, that handle is sitting in the path that the slow motion control uses to turn the scope around. I had to take out the screw and turn the screw inside the handle so that the handle is not sitting in the way when it is tightened. The screw is pinned to the handle with a spring, and I hope that this spring tolerates to be rotated half a turn extra. It bothers me that this shortcoming was delivered this way from the factory. But luckily both problems were solvable.
What I also noticed is that the major fastening screws of the slow-motion controls tap a little against the nut when I turn them around. Slightly smaller screws had been more convenient. This is not really disturbing, but a weakness in the design.
If I put the telescope leaned far backwards, the scope is in the way for at least one slow-motion control. These can only be mounted on one side. Perhaps I should have assembled the telescope in the opposite direction.

Conclusion of first impression: the TS geard head mount is not very well finished when shipped, but its shortcomings are quickly solved by a non-technical person. For the rest it looks sound. A telescope that weighs 1.2kg more than the indicated weight limit is sitting firmly on the mount. I'm going to keep the mount to take along during trips. The telescope can be used with its Vixen-style dovetail.

Next day:

This afternoon I tested the mount for a while by looking at the sun. The lazy astronomer's way: by looking through the open window. 

This time I had mounted the tube so that the slow motion controls stuck out the other side. Slightly more difficult to control from behind the scope, but at least they are not in the way. Standing sideways and looking at the shadow of the tube to locate the sun without a viewfinder, the mount was easy to operate with the slow motion controls for easy adjustment in both planes. Even when I leaned the tube backwards very far, the slow motion control could still turn it back up. 

While observing, the image was pretty shaky. I looked mostly through a 12mm eyepiece (125x). But for a grab and go mount to use during a trip, I find it acceptable enough. It is after all a mount without a counterweight. Because of the small pack size I will definitely take it along the next time I travel.

 

I also posted this on Astroforum.nl. I used Google translate and had to rewrite a whole lot. I hope I found all mistranslations., but don't be shocked if you find some strange text in it.

[iPeace]

Great report and great pictures! I considered this mount a while back and never stopped wondering how it would be. Your post gives me the full picture.

Thankfully, I know what a "handvatje" is...

[Stu]

Very thorough and informative report Linda. Slo mo controls are something you either 'get' or 'don't get' for me I find them fiddly so opt for a giro type mount which is very light but stable. It sounds like the adjustments you have made make the TS one very useful for you though.

[Linda]

Someone tipped me that I should also place a washer on each side of the central bolt, to prevent it from digging itself into the mount. That is another design flaw that is solvable.

[Scosmico]

Thanks Linda, I had this mount as a prospect before opting for a photo ball-head.

I think this is the only existing review for this product. 

Here you have a similar product made by Ascension:

http://www.opticstar.com/Run/Astronomy/Astro-Accessories-Telescopes-Ascension.asp?p=0_10_5_1_1_110

[Linda]

4 minutes ago, Scosmico said:

I think this is the only existing review for this product. 

That is why I felt it as an obligation to write one. Before I bought mine, I searched the internet high and low, even in German, for a review and found none.

[Linda]

7 minutes ago, Scosmico said:

Here you have a similar product made by Ascension:

http://www.opticstar.com/Run/Astronomy/Astro-Accessories-Telescopes-Ascension.asp?p=0_10_5_1_1_110

Yes, this one is pretty similar, but with shorter slow motion controls, which might be smart. It was the owner of this mount, that tipped me about putting in some washers. In my mount however, there was not room to put them.

[Linda]

First use of the mount:

I used the mount on a Feisol Carbon photo tripod and look at the Mercury transit in front of the sun. The scope I used was the Maksutov 127mm with only diagonal and eyepiece, no finder. I guess the weight is approximately at the mount's maximum of 3,5 kgs. 

It was really easy to find the sun this time. Easier than with my normal EQ mount. My HB has shortened one of the slow motion controls, so now I had 2 short ones. The mount worked intuitively in following the object. The scope was at an angle of approx 40 degrees.

When moving the scope, the setup wobbled quite a bit. But when I looked through it without touching the eyepiece, the view was standing nicely still. It was absolutely good enough to watch the transit.